Words
by Enchanted Sloth
Summary: 'Romantic...? I haven't been described as that word in a very long time. Then again, you are reminding me of a lot of words I haven't heard in a long time, MC' Based off of one of Jaehee's phone calls, MC reminds Jaehee of things, and all of them have to do with romance. Can their budding relationship make it? JaeheexMC
1. Jealousy

Hi there! This is my very first Mystic Messenger fanfic! If there's anything you need to know about me, it's that _I adore Jaehee!_ I loved the Christmas story that came out this past month, but I feel like it wasn't enough! The original playthrough didn't have enough romance in it when it came to Jaehee's route, so I wanted to fix that!

This story is based off of one of Jaehee's phone calls, where you have to option to say that she sounds romantic. In response, she chuckles and says something along the lines of, 'romantic...? That word hasn't been used to describe me in a long time. But then again, you are reminding me of a lot of words, MC'

I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Chapter 1

Jealousy 

Jaehee watched from a distance as Zen stood outside of the coffee shop, eyes lit up as he spoke animatedly to the little MC in front of him. As usual, her brown hair had fallen over her eyes as she nodded along to whatever Zen was spouting. The three of them had become the best of friends over the course of the few months that the members of the RFA had known MC, and Jaehee couldn't have been more grateful.

However, she was also very jealous.

Shaking her head quickly, she refocused herself on the coffee that she was making for a dreadfully tired looking Yoosung. He sat at the barstool in front of her, his head dropped down onto the table.

"Jaehee…" Yoosung picked his head off of the table, dark circles under his eyes. "You, Zen, and MC sure have gotten really close, huh?"

"Yes, I'd say we have." Jaehee bristled, trying to hurry up with his coffee. "Now, I think we should talk about your video game addiction…"

"Awh!" Yoosung shook his head, groaning obnoxiously. "Don't change the subject! We can talk about that later. It's not like it's going to change any time soon."

Jaehee looked up at him, eyebrow raised.

"I don't see why you're so interested in talking about the three of us."

"Well...don't you ever get a little curious about how the friendships will turn out?" Yoosung shrugged, swinging his legs back and forth under the table. "I mean, it's almost like a love triangle! Zen will eventually start dating one of you...although, I'm sure both of you are pining after him."

"That is ridiculous…" Jaehee muttered, grateful that she was almost done with the coffee. "Neither one of us are interested in the other."

"Once one of you starts dating him, it'll completely ruin the friendship. MC will no longer talk to you, or you will no longer talk to her. Jealousy is really dirty." The younger boy ignored her words and continued to ramble, his face saddening slightly. "Even when that friendship ends, I hope that none of you leave the RFA. It would be very sad."

Jaehee said no more, and placed his coffee on the counter. Glancing back towards the window, she noticed Zen lean down to give MC a small hug, and with that, she quickly exited into the backroom.

Yoosung smiled knowingly as he watched the woman slam the door behind her. He sipped from his cup hesitantly, but sighed in relief as the liquid touched his lips. It was the perfect temperature, and the perfect medicine to relieve his drowsiness.

"Hey, Yoosung. Where did Jaehee go?" MC asked, the bells above the door jingling softly as she entered. "I have some news for her about Zen."

"Oh, are the two of you dating now?" Yoosung smirked, spinning around in his seat. "It was only a matter of time."

"What…?" MC raised a brow, before she chuckled. "You're kidding me, right?"

"It's either gonna be you or Jaehee, you know." He shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee. "Whichever one he gets to first."

"You sound too much like 707 right now." MC deadpanned, furrowing her brows. "You know that Jaehee would never let Zen get in between us."

"Love makes us do mysterious things." Yoosung sighed, laying his head back down on the table. "I sure would like a girlfriend…"

"Okay, now you sound like Yoosung." MC chuckled, running some water to wash a few dirtied mugs. "What makes you mention that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Have you seriously never even considered it? This is like some generic, teen romance novel. One of you will get with Zen."

Yoosung studied MC's figure carefully. She washed the dishes roughly, as if trying to calm herself down. Through that calm exterior was a very distraught woman, Yoosung could tell.

"So, who will it be?"

"Huh?" Yoosung blinked, raising his brows in surprise.

"Who do you think Jaehee will choose?" MC turned to face him, her face filled with nothing but pure determination. "If this is a story, then Jaehee is definitely the main character. Not Zen. Not me. I want to be the one that Jaehee chooses at the end of the book."

"Woah...you and Jaehee really are close, aren't you?" Yoosung chuckled. He bounced off of the stool and grabbed his backpack, throwing a few of his textbooks inside before zipping it back up. "If you want to be the one Jaehee chooses, why don't you do something about it?"

"Bye, Yoosung. Keep studying." MC nodded, reaching out to stop him as he started to pull out some money for a tip. "No, that's not needed. You're always welcome here as a place to study...I think that's payment for us enough as it is."

"Thanks, MC. Good luck!" Yoosung winked, before walking out of the shop.

* * *

Jaehee Kang was not a jealous woman. In fact, the older she got, the less the word 'romance' meant to her. Every once in awhile, she would find someone who would occupy her time for a date or two, but it never developed into anything serious. Her work meant more to her than any person's heart, so she never gave romance a second thought.

Along with romance, came the word 'jealousy'. Occasionally, Jaehee would be jealous that other women were able to score tickets to Zen's show (and actually had the free time to go and watch them), or jealous of those who didn't have to watch over Elizabeth the 3rd, but she had never been jealous because of romance. When potential love interests would leave her for another woman that was more in tune with themselves than she was, Jaehee felt nothing but relief. No longer was she tied down, and could finally continue to focus on her work.

However, the feelings she was experiencing now were very foreign.

Jealousy did not sit well with her. She plopped down on on the cushy couch that decorated the break room, holding her head in her hands. Somewhere along the way, MC had managed to become everything. More than a friend, more than a partner; she had become the entire world.

"Jaehee? Is everything okay?"

MC entered the break room casually, but grew concerned as soon as she saw Jaehee bent over the couch, a pained look resting on her face. It was time to close down for the evening, and MC had already locked the doors and turned down the lights, but she couldn't bring herself to head upstairs without Jaehee.

Jaehee looked up at MC quickly, her eyes shrouded with worry. Her face reddened and her back straightened as she sat up quickly.

"Everything is completely fine!" She replied, trying not to meet MC's gaze.

"Well...alright." MC chuckled as she sat down beside of Jaehee. "Are you positive that nothing is bothering you? Yoosung didn't get to you too, did he?"

Jaehee let out a ragged breath, and ignored her partner. Instead, she focused on the decorum of the break room. When designing the coffee shop, it had been MC that chose the layout of the break room. Jaehee allowed her this one small liberty, and although they both had a say in the final decoration of every room, she wanted this one to belong to MC. Jaehee wouldn't have minded if MC had chosen to decorate the room in nothing but animal print, but she was still pleasantly delighted when MC's tastes came out more refined. Simple. A couch, two chairs, a table, a small TV, and some plants, all surrounded by smooth, mocha colored walls. The room felt as calming as a cup of coffee, and the aroma wafting from the kitchen only made it more real. So, they decided to make every wall in the shop the same color as the break room.

MC nudged Jaehee's shoulder, smiling at her softly.

"C'mon, it's just me. You can talk to me about anything."

"I…I know I can." Jaehee finally relaxed, sagging backwards into the couch. "I'm just not sure how to say what I want to say. For the first time in a very long time...I'm worried about how you will react."

"No matter what, I'm going to support you, Jaehee. I'm always going to be here. Don't you know that?"

After a moment, Jaehee finally spoke.

"I don't want you to end up with Zen." Her voice almost sounded broken, MC noted. "I don't want to lose you to someone who...who doesn't value you the way I do. Don't get me wrong, Zen is a wonderful friend, and an amazing actor, but he will never be able to build such a strong bond with you as the one we have between each other."

"You don't have to worry about Zen. I honestly don't have any feelings for him."

MC sunk back into the couch, her shoulder making contact with Jaehee's. Their relationship had always been on the thin border between romantic and platonic, each of them just waiting for something to push them to further to one side or the other. MC never tried to make a move into something more serious, for the fear of scaring Jaehee away, while Jaehee never pushed because she assumed that MC wouldn't feel the same way.

"I saw the two of you embrace at the end of your conversation. It made me feel hurt. Though...I'm not sure why. If you wanted to pursue a relationship with Zen, I would support you." Jaehee sighed, looking over to stare at MC sheepishly. "Yes, I would support you, as you have been supporting me. Please don't hide the relationship from me…"

"I'm not hiding anything from you." MC leaned her head down onto Jaehee's shoulder, letting out a long sigh. "I would never hide anything from you. Which is why I have to tell you that it's Zen who's interested in you."

Jaehee gasped, hand flying to her chest in shock.

"M-me?! What do you mean…? We're nothing but friends -"

"That's not what he thinks. He's...developed feelings for you. That's what he came by to talk to me about." MC closed her eyes, trying to escape the sight of the strange look that was growing in Jaehee's amber eyes. "He's leaving town for a week or so with his manager to pursue some oversea work. But he said that when he gets back, he's going to ask you on a date. He wanted some advice on how he should ask you."

MC could feel Jaehee's heart hammering in her chest, the feeling reverberating through taller woman's body. It left MC feeling breathless.

"Oh…" Jaehee mumbled, staring down at MC with wide eyes. "What...what do you think about the offer? The date, I mean?"

"I'd say that you should go with whatever your heart is telling you. If you're interested in Zen, then feel free to go on a date with him. Perhaps it would develop into something more serious."

MC moved away, sitting straighter on the couch. The space between them became overly obvious, and Jaehee missed the contact completely.

"I don't want advice, MC. What do you think about the offer?" Jaehee reached forward, lacing her fingers with MC's. "Personally, Zen is only someone I care about as a fan, and a friend. There's nothing more I would ever want with him. But...how did it make you feel when he asked you that?"

"It made me feel as if my chest was about to snap in half with jealousy."

MC squeezed Jaehee's hand and gave her a soft smile, noticing that the other woman had grown a deep blush on her porcelain face.

"If I'm being honest, it made me feel that same way when I saw him embrace you. I...I wanted it to be me that you were hugging. Not Zen." Jaehee looked away, her blush spreading down her neck. "But I'm not sure what that means."

"I think it means that we should go on a date, instead of you and Zen."

Jaehee's hand flew to her mouth as she let out a small gasp, her eyes growing wide in shock. MC stared back at her, a large smile on her face.

"Jaehee, will you go on a date with me?"

Tears formed in Jaehee's eyes, although MC could see the hint of a smile growing from behind her hand. Almost as if acting on instinct, MC reached forward and brushed a few of the stray tears from Jaehee's cheeks.

"What's wrong?" MC whispered, tucking a lock of hair back behind Jaehee's ear.

"I never thought...that you would feel the same way for me as I have felt about you." Jaehee laughed, allowing the tears to slide down her cheeks. "I'm just so happy."

MC pulled Jaehee into her, wrapping her arms around Jaehee's shoulders. She felt Jaehee's own wrap around her waist, meshing their bodies even closer together. Suddenly, Jaehee began to sob, her body shaking violently in MC's arms.

"I've...I've never been hugged so lovingly before. Not since my mother passed away," Jaehee cried, hot tears falling onto MC's neck. "Thank you…I would love to go on a date with you, MC."

MC buried her face into Jaehee's neck, unable to stop the giant smile that was stretched across her face.

"No, Jaehee...thank you."

* * *

Jaehee stared up at her ceiling that night, unable to shake the large smile that was plastered to her face. Just down the hallway, she knew that MC was feeling the same way about her. It was because of those confusing feelings that Jaehee always tried to manage to keep herself at a distance from MC. There were things that the two of them didn't know about each other, but now, Jaehee couldn't wait to find them out.

A knock on the door brought her from her thoughts, and she instantly sat up in bed.

"I know it's late, and I'm sorry to bother you, but…" Jaehee could make out the form of MC in the darkness, her long hair pulled back by a small clip. "I just can't sleep. Not after admitting all of those feelings…"

Jaehee patted the empty space beside of her on her bed, trying not to blush. MC shut the door behind her softly, before hesitantly crossing the room. Locking eyes, MC pulled back the covers and slipped underneath, crossing her legs together.

"I don't know why I feel so nervous…" Jaehee chuckled, leaning back against the headboard. "It's not like we haven't had sleepovers before."

"Maybe we can talk? Like we usually do, you know?" MC asked quietly, reaching out to hold Jaehee's hand.

Jaehee stared down at their intertwined fingers and slowly brought them to her mouth, kissing MC gently on the hand.

"No, I'd like to talk to each other like we're more than what we used to be. I want to redefine our relationship." Jaehee smiled, dropping their hands back on the bed between them. "I want to know more about you."

"I'd say you know everything about me."

"Tell me about your family? What did you do before moving into Rika's apartment? I know your interests, and some of your history, but I...I want to know it all."

MC let out a long sigh, settling against the headboard. Jaehee looked over at her expectantly, excitement lighting up her eyes. MC chuckled, wiping her bangs away from her face. Even with the clip, they always managed to get in the way.

"Well...I grew up with a normal family. It was nothing out of the ordinary. My parents got divorced when I was little, but I almost feel as if that is normal nowadays." MC shrugged. "I went to university to become a teacher...or a writer. Whichever happened first. But...when Unknown reached out to me, I was working at a bookstore, just waiting on a position to open up."

"I had no idea that you wanted to become a teacher…" Jaehee spoke softly. "It makes so much sense, with your personality."

"I'd say I wanted to be a teacher until I was able to start producing pieces of published work. It was more or less just a backup plan, in case nothing ever got published." MC shrugged, letting out a small laugh. "Although I wasn't able to leave the apartment for a day or two, I did resume working at the bookstore for a while. As soon as you gave me the key to our new place, I quit."

"If you want to continue to strive to write, I will do all that I can to make those dreams come true."

MC smiled brightly, leaning in to give Jaehee a small peck on the cheek. Jaehee's hand flew up to her face, covering the spot that MC's lips once were.

"I'd say that you've become my biggest dream. You and me, living above our coffee shop, is something I never realized I wanted so badly until I had it." MC whispered, touching her forehead softly against Jaehee's. "Maybe I'll keep writing...but if I never get anything published, I wouldn't regret it. Because I have you."

Jaehee closed the space between them, pressing her lips against MC's slowly. After a moment's hesitation, the two women fell into each other. Lips danced against lips, arms wrapped around each other's bodies, pulling them closer to one another. It wasn't a perfect first kiss, but it was everything the two of them could have asked for. The taste of toothpaste and lingering coffee breath was a combination that neither of them expected to enjoy, but realized it would become their favorite flavor.

Pulling away, Jaehee traced MC's jaw with her hand, smiling to herself when MC's head fell into her palm.

"MC...I think I'm going to fall in love with you. Don't be surprised when I tell you that I am." Jaehee breathed, leaning in for another kiss.

"I think I already am." MC replied, closing the space between them.


	2. Romance

Chapter 2  
Romance  
.

The park had always been the place that Jaehee would go when she was feeling stressed out. Just the feel of the cool breeze on her face was enough to make her feel as if she could conquer the entire world. Of course, since working at the coffee shop, she realized that there was no real need to visit the park anymore. Work wasn't stressful; if anything, the coffee shop was more of a hobby. It was just a plus that she and MC were able to make a living off of it.

However, ever since their first date to the park a month prior, Jaehee always visited on the weekends when she and MC were both free. Considering it was winter, it wasn't as if there was much to do. However, neither of them were too scared of the cold, and managed to find the beauty in the snow covered pine trees. Sometimes, they would go on walks, or even runs (although that was like pulling teeth with MC), but their favorite pastime was to have warm picnics on the small park benches when it was dry out. It had become their favorite place to go together, and it was beginning to become more natural to show affection towards one another in public.

"MC...what is this?"

MC hurried around Jaehee's bedroom (although it was practically their bedroom now, as MC always ended up in her bed), gathering layers of clothes in her arms. A huge smile had crept its way across her face, but she refused to respond. Instead, she threw the pile of clothes onto the bed beside of Jaehee, placing her hands on her hips.

"Today, Jaehee, we're going ice skating!"

Jaehee blinked, before she let out a low chuckle.

"You're joking, right…?"

"Nope! You've never been ice skating, and I intend to teach you. Afterwards, I also happen to have another little surprise for you...but that's if you make it through the skating lessons." MC winked, booping Jaehee's nose with her finger.

"MC...as much as I would love to learn how to ice skate from you…" Jaehee wrung her fingers together nervously, but MC caught them with her own, swinging them back and forth in the space between them. "Uh, I've never ice skated before because I'm not really too interested in learning."

"I'm positive you'd be good at it if you just put your mind to it! You can do anything. Plus, it's you who is always so into being fit and active, right?"

"Yes, that's true…" Jaehee tapped her finger to her chin, biting her lip in thought. MC let out a sigh, and plopped down on top of her, pecking at her lips softly.

"If you don't want to go ice skating, we can always stay in for the day…" MC trailed off, bringing soft kisses all the way down to Jaehee's neck. They had discovered that it was Jaehee's weakness. "Find out new things about each other, if you'd like?"

"Mm," Jaehee sighed in pleasure, tilting her head to the side so that MC could get a better reach. "As lovely as that sounds...I think I want to try ice skating."

MC pulled back, suddenly bouncing up and down on Jaehee's lap.

"Really?!"

"Yes...you really are too hyperactive when it comes to doing stuff like this." Jaehee laughed, holding the other woman tightly to her chest. "But I love it…"

MC felt herself blush, hiding her face in Jaehee's neck.

"I'm quite the klutz when it comes to stuff like this...even roller skating is difficult for me. But with a teacher like you, I think I could learn." Jaehee pulled MC away and kissed the top of her head. "Now, come on! Lets get ready and go. I do remember that you said you have another surprise for me."

"Oh, right!" MC kicked herself into gear, suddenly launching herself into another frenzy of sorting clothes out on the bed. "Here, this pile is yours. Surprise! I got you a cute little red beanie. It even has a little ball on top! It's going to be really chilly out there today, so I put together outfits for the both of us that should keep us really warm. And we can get coffee at that cute little cafe near the park afterwards! It should warm us up."

"That's a wonderful idea!"

* * *

Of course, ice skating in itself was a wonderful idea - in theory. An hour later, MC helped Jaehee unlace her skates, trying not to feel bad from the incidents on the ice. Not once, or twice, or even three times - Jaehee had fallen almost ten times, bringing MC down with her. MC always tried to cushion the falls, but Jaehee somehow always managed to be the one on the bottom.

"Look, Jaehee...I'm sorry I drug you out here. I know you had a bad time -"

"A bad time? That was the best time of my life!" Jaehee laughed, her cheeks rosy from the cold. "Thank you for trying to teach me to ice skate. It's okay that I didn't quite learn, it's probably just not for me. But spending it with you, and seeing how determined you were to teach me made me feel pretty special."

MC stared up at Jaehee, unable to stop the look of amazement that had crept up on her face.

"You are pretty special, Jaehee. You're everything to me. God - don't you know?" MC threw her arms around Jaehee's shoulders, bumping their foreheads together. "You make everything so fun and so unique. And you're so beautiful…"

"You are too…" Jaehee leaned forward and pecked MC on the lips, nuzzling their noses together. "Goodness, it's so cold that I can't even feel my nose! Let's hurry and head to that cafe so we can get warmed up before we go home."

Quickly, they discarded their skates and pulled their snow boots back onto their feet, before starting the short trek to the cafe. It was a themed cafe, decorated entirely by flowers, but not many people knew about it. In the summer, they served the best lemonade in town (other than the lemonade from their own cafe, of course), and in the winter, they had specialized coffees that were hard to find anywhere else.

Without noticing, Jaehee slipped her mittened hand into MC's. It was hard for them to get a good grip, but they kept their hands squeezed tightly together so that their clasped fingers wouldn't slip apart.

"Maybe next time, we can build snowmen." MC suggested, bumping her hip with Jaehee's. Jaehee bumped back in return, causing both of the women to laugh.

"Maybe we can! We can build an entire family of snowmen." Jaehee agreed, smiling down at MC. "We can even build a small snow cat as the family pet."

"Woah, Jaehee! Are you starting to come around to cats?" MC raised her brows, swinging their hands between them.

"No, I just figured a snow cat wouldn't have any c-hair, and may be a bit more tolerable than a real one." Jaehee stuck out her tongue, chuckling. "There is no way that I would ever come around to real life cats, so don't get your hopes up, Dear."

"Dear…?" MC blushed, a goofy grin extending across her face.

"Oh!" Jaehee's face turned red in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry if you weren't ready for terms of endearment! It just...slipped out."

MC stopped them in their tracks and pulled Jaehee into her arms, squeezing her tightly. Jaehee blinked in shock, but wrapped her arms around MC in response, rocking them back and forth. After a moment, MC pulled away and left a small kiss on Jaehee's cheek.

"I loved it. Don't be embarrassed. Hearing you call that was almost like music to my ears. It just shocked me, that's all." MC reassured her, fitting their hands together and leading them towards the cafe quickly. "I'll start calling you cute names too!"

"What did you have in mind?" Jaehee asked as they rounded the cafe, slipping off their gloves before entering.

"Hmm…" MC opened the door for Jaehee, allowing the taller woman to step inside. "Either something exotic, like ' _my little coffee bean_ ', or something simple. Maybe I'll call you Honey. Or Baby. Or -"

MC glanced up at Jaehee and her words instantly became mush in her mouth. Jaehee had her nose turned up, cheeks slightly inflated, and her face had become as red as the beanie on her head.

"Was that a little too much?" MC asked nervously, stomping the snow off of her boots on the entrance mat. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you further."

"No, no…" Jaehee deflated her cheeks and rubbed the back of her head. "It was just...I understand what you mean about music to the ears. I'd definitely love being called your little coffee bean, as ridiculous as it sounds…"

"Then, it's settled! You're my little coffee bean, and I'm your everything, and we're about to drink some really fancy lattes!"

Jaehee grabbed MC's hand, dragging her towards the window seat. It was the seat that they always frequented when they visited this cafe. If you looked out of the window in the summer, it held the perfect view of the large lake on the outskirts of the park. There, they could watch the ducks and geese flock about. It was always MC's favorite when the geese would chase after people holding bread, but Jaehee prefered it when the geese weren't there, so she could see the soft ripples of the water from the breeze. They had discovered this cafe during the summer, when they had first opened up their shop.

Of course, Jaehee realized that even then, she and MC did almost everything together. From owning a coffee shop together, living in the same place as one another, and even thinking of each other throughout the day, they had practically already been dating. Being more affectionate with each other was just the added bonus of having a label - but they had never really talked about labels, either.

They slid into their chairs, finally taking off the rest of their loose winter gear. After a moment, a waitress came to the table to take their orders, and then she was off, leaving the two by themselves.

"I think I have a better name than Dear," Jaehee spoke softly, reaching across the table to grab MC's hand. "I think...I'd like to call you my girlfriend."

Jaehee suddenly became a bit frightened at the confused look that washed itself over MC's face.

"Weren't we already girlfriends…?"

Letting out a loud laugh, Jaehee felt relief overcome her. She squeezed MC's hand tightly, and MC laughed with her, sheepishly.

"I suppose we already were! I just wanted to make sure that we were on the same page. I want this to be something serious." Jaehee wiped tears from her eyes, letting out a few more giggles.

"This has always been something serious!" MC leaned forward, and Jaehee could practically see the stars in her eyes. "Ever since I began pursuing you, over the chatroom, I knew that we were going to be something serious! At least...I wanted us to be something serious."

"Same here… I just didn't understand that it was also natural to have those feelings for someone of the same sex." Jaehee nodded, pulling her hand away to finish taking off her beanie. "Also, I love this hat!"

"Why, thank you! I went shopping with Yoosung the other day, after I told him about my plans for today. I thought it would look cute on you."

MC leaned back in her chair, taking in her surroundings. She had always thought the interior of the cafe was adorable. It was adorned by flowers - real ones - that hung from the walls in troves. The vines were her favorite decoration, as they wrapped themselves around the window panes. Perhaps it didn't get much business because of allergies, but even then, the drinks and sweet desserts were worth it enough to be taken to-go.

"Jaehee...why didn't you talk to me about those feelings?" MC leaned forward, her head in her hands. "I understand that you didn't want to scare me away, but even had I not felt the same, I definitely wouldn't have left your side."

"Most people do leave my side." Jaehee shrugged the topic away, shaking her head. "I feel like this is a conversation for the future. Right now, let's keep building and see where this relationship goes."

"Right. Just talk to me about it when you're ready." MC smiled.

The waitress suddenly arrived with their drinks and desserts, giving them a small nod before walking off to serve her next guests.

"So, what's the surprise after this?" Jaehee asked, bringing her latte to her lips.

"Well...it's more of a vacation." MC laughed, rubbing her hands together. "We don't have to go if you think it's too much of a hassle, but I think it's perfect."

"A vacation?!" Jaehee couldn't contain her excitement. A little over a year ago, she would have guffawed at even the thought of a vacation. Now, it was one of those liberties that she was beginning to appreciate.

"Yes, a vacation! You know, about a month ago, Zen left for a week to pursue an overseas acting career. And, as you know, he got lead position in a musical…"

Jaehee's hands flew to her face, eyes sparkling in excitement.

"He has invited us for the opening night of his musical! All expenses paid, just for three days, so we don't miss out on any serious revenue from the coffee shop." MC smiled brightly, sipping carefully at her drink. "Do you want to go?"

"You don't even have to ask!"

After the incident with Zen and MC, Jaehee didn't speak with him until he returned from his trip. She ignored his attempts to contact her through the RFA, and refused to listen to the many voice mails that he left her. When he returned, they finally had a talk, where she turned him down. However, neither Jaehee nor MC mentioned their relationship to him. At the time, it was still something fragile. They only recently told Yoosung, and that was only because he spent most of his days lounging in their cafe.

After speaking to Zen, the three of them managed to keep up their friendship. Jaehee was still his biggest fan, MC was still his friend, and he was still just Zen.

"Alright! We leave the day after tomorrow. It'll give us enough time to tell our regulars that we'll be gone for a few days." MC nodded excitedly, loving the expression on her girlfriend's face.

"I can't believe this is happening…" Jaehee breathed, suddenly reaching across the table to give MC a quick kiss on the lips.

"Neither can I!"

* * *

Jaehee had never seen a place so grand. Of course, working for Jumin as she did, she had been to some very exquisite places. However, nothing could beat the shimmering tiles, large fountain, and elegant chandelier that greeted them as soon as they walked into the hotel. The two of them had initially refused, saying that they would much rather just find their own means of lodging, but Zen wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Hey you guys!" Yoosung called, waving them over to the small lounging area that was occupied by Zen, 707, and Yoosung himself. "Over here!"

Quickly, the two women rushed over, dragging their luggage behind them. Jaehee had packed appropriately, but MC decided that, even for a three night stay, she needed to pack her entire wardrobe. Zen greeted the girls with warm hugs, but kept his arm wrapped around MC's shoulders. MC quickly brushed him off, moving to sit beside of Yoosung.

"I see that our two princess have arrived!" Zen gushed, plopping down in a chair beside of 707. "Right now, we're just waiting on Jumin, and then I can get you all checked into your rooms!"

"You'd better have had the fridge stocked with Dr. Pepper and honey chips!" 707 frowned, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I don't usually like leaving home, but this was an entire plane trip away!"

"707! This is going to be such a fun experience for all of us! At least we're together." Yoosung shrugged, trying to lighten 707's mood.

"I mean, yeah, we're together, but a 707 without his computer is like…"

"Yoosung without a girlfriend." Zen offered, giving a small shrug.

"Hey!"

"No, no, I'm going for something a little more realistic here…" 707 tapped his finger to his chin, lost in thought. "Hm…"

"Yoosung without his video games!" Jaehee leaned forward, shooting Yoosung a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, Jaehee's got it right!" Yoosung only laughed, nodding in response. "I'd say it's more like Jaehee without her coffee shop."

"Or Jumin without Elizabeth the 3rd…" MC muttered.

"Speaking of Elly," 707 shouted, leaping up from his seat. "Here she is!"

In tow with a few bags of luggage, Jumin was walking towards them quickly, Elizabeth the 3rd's cat carrier in his hands. He had a set look on his face, as if he wasn't feeling anything at all, but it was easy to tell that he was _already_ displeased at something.

"Jumin…" Zen sighed, holding his head in his hands. "Why did you bring the cat?"

"Excuse me, are you referring to Elizabeth the 3rd? That's her name." Jumin dropped the cat carrier to his feet, placing his hands on his hips. "It was very hard to find a last minute cat sitter that was suitable for my Elizabeth, so I decided to bring her with me."

"This hotel doesn't allow pets…"

"I called beforehand and, for me, they will make a special exception to that rule." Jumin glanced at Jaehee, as if he was about to say something, but instead reached down to pick up the carrier. "Lets get checked in. It was a long flight."

"Now, _that_ , I can agree with."

Zen jumped up from his seat and hurried over to the receptionists desk, an excited smile on his face. 707, unbeknownst to Jumin, had snuck his way around the back of the chairs, creeping up on Elizabeth the 3rd.

"This carrier feels a bit light...a bit _too_ light."

Jumin spun around on his heels, a stormy look overcoming his face as soon as he spotted a euphoric 707 with a content Elizabeth the 3rd resting on 707's head. She licked at her fur, glancing around to take in her surroundings.

"Luciel...I would suggest you give me my Elizabeth back _right this second_." Jumin hissed, trying to snatch Elizabeth off of 707's head.

"But you never let me hold her…" 707 argued, taking a step away every time Jumin would come a step closer.

"That's because you are a _cat abuser!_ "

Yoosung let out a long sigh, turning back to the two females beside of him as Jumin ran off, trying to catch 707.

"So, have you guys told anyone else about your relationship?" He asked, giving them a large smile. "You are both so cute together!"

"No, we're still keeping it quiet for now." Jaehee nodded, although she discreetly laced her fingers with MC's.

"Although we'll have to tell them eventually…" MC smiled up at Jaehee at the contact, squeezing the other woman's hand firmly.

"Come on, you guys!"  
Zen called them over and, as a large group, they all made their way to the elevator. The bellhop grabbed their bags, allowing them to take a load off as they were escorted to their rooms.

"Okay! Everyone has their own room." Zen informed them as they were handed the keys to their rooms. "I'd like for all of us to meet back up in the lobby in four hours to go out to eat. I think that's enough time for a short nap?"

"I'd at least need a full night's sleep." Jumin deadpanned.

"Well, go for it. It's okay if _you_ don't eat with us, at least." Zen shrugged.

"Don't say that!" 707 grabbed Jumin's arm protectively. "He's _sensitive_!"

"707, I'd advise that you get your hand off of me before I wreck another one of your expensive cars."

707 slid all the way to the far side of the elevator, pressing himself against the wall.

"Thank you."

The elevator came to a halt, and together they poured out into the hallway, taking in the beautifully sleek tapestry and carpentry. Jaehee was a bit disappointed to find that her room was farther down the hallway from MC's, squashed at the end beside of Yoosung's room.

"I promise not to make a lot of noise, neighbor!" Yoosung laughed as he unlocked his door. "Feel free to drop in if you need anything, okay?"

"Thank you, Yoosung." Jaehee smiled warmly at the younger boy, before glancing down the hallway at her girlfriend.

Jumin and 707 had already made their way inside of their rooms, but Zen had MC cornered outside of her door. Jaehee made a face, and almost started down the hallway, but Yoosung grabbed her wrist quickly.

"Jaehee, I know this may not be my place, but don't forget that MC chose you, just like you chose her." Yoosung licked his lips, trying to find his words. "It might be better if the two of you tell Zen about your relationship pretty soon. As much as we all love him, he definitely _is_ full of himself. If he wasn't able to have you...he might have developed feelings for her instead."

Jaehee sighed, falling against the wall.

"You're right, Yoosung. I'm very glad that MC has a friend like you."

"I'm not just MC's friend." Yoosung patted her arm and opened his door. "I'm your friend too."

"Thank you…"

Jaehee glanced over her shoulder, but found that she was only met with the click of his door as it closed behind him.


End file.
